A trip to Ann Arbor, Michigan, isn’t complete without a visit to Zingerman’s Delicatessen (www.zingermansdeli.com), which first opened in 1982 and is much more than a typical deli. Zingerman’s offers specialty dry goods like rare olive oils and aged vinegars, as well as a large selection of bread, cheese and meats. It’s a treat to browse through the store and sample and purchase some of the items offered. Zingerman’s Deli was recently named one of the coolest grocery stores in the United States by Chef Andrew Zimmern and Delish.com.

Among the items offered at Zingerman’s are products from The Brinery, a Michigan based business that uses fermentation to produce some amazing items. Several varieties of sauerkraut are offered and all are very tasty. The Brinery is located at 2531 Jackson Avenue, and workshops are offered to learn basic fermentation techniques. For more information on The Brinery, check out the website at www.thebrinery.com. [Full Story »]

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first part of a series on travel to Ann Arbor and it features what makes the University of Michigan a travel destination. Shopping, dining and entertainment will also be featured in the series).

The largest football stadium in the United States, an art museum and the Gerald R. Ford Library are just a few of the reasons to visit the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

The University of Michigan is home to the largest football stadium in the United States, Michigan Stadium, which was built in 1927 and can seat 109,901. Known as The Big House, the stadium is home to the University of Michigan football team which competes seven weekends each fall to sell out crowds.
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(Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series on travel to the Great Smoky Mountains. Next up, join us as we head to Pigeon Forge).

BY ANGELA GARY

Gatlinburg is a quaint mountain village nestled in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. It offers a variety of travel experiences ranging from family activities to romantic getaways to outdoor adventures. There are hundreds of shops in the area, as well as a number of attractions. Located a four-hour drive from the North Georgia area, there is something for toddlers to senior citizens to enjoy.

The four-month Gatlinburg Winter Magic event that has been voted one of the best events in the Southeast just kicked off. More than three million lights brighten up the town making it a true winter wonderland.
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A highlight of our trip to Gering, Nebraska, was our stop at Scotts Bluff National Park. The scenic ride to the top of the bluff as well as the views from the top are simply amazing. The natural beauty of the area will leave you refreshed and inspired.

Towering 800 feet above the North Platte River, Scotts Bluff has served as a landmark for thousands of people from Native Americans to emigrants on the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails to modern travelers. Rich with geological and paleontological history as well as human history, there is much to discover while exploring the 3,000 acres of Scotts Bluff National Monument.

We started our visit browsing through the exhibits in the museum and watching the 12-minute video on the Oregon Trail. Next, some of our group drove to the top of the bluff, while a few others took off hiking to the top.
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Rest, relaxation and sheer excitement are just a few reasons for a trip to Helen. With all the outdoor adventure, shopping, and delicious dining opportunities, it’s a great destination for a family get-away to the delightful town nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the Chattahoochee River. Helen has a rich history linked to the Cherokee Indians and Indian burial mounds and the early settlers who arrived to mine for gold and cut timber in the early 1900s. Today, Helen is a re-creation of an Alpine village complete with cobblestone alleys and old-world towers.

Outdoor adventure was our goal on this trip to Helen and we found lots of choices. Here are just a few of the many opportunities which await you on a trip to Helen.

ZIP N TIME
It exhilarating! It’s breathtaking! It was the ride of my life. We hopped aboard the Troop Transport and headed through the swamp until we came face to face with “The Intimidator Big Zip!” We stepped onto the platform with a spectacular view of Mount Yonah before we soared down one of the longest (2,360’ long) dual zip lines in the continental United States. It was an amazing feeling to zip through the countryside. We didn’t even let a little rain shower during our zip stop us from having a great time.
From the Native American inhabitants of Nacoochee Valley, to the gold rush, to the moonshine makers, Zip N Time has a variety of canopy tours.
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Traveling along historic routes in Western Nebraska, with stops at Boot Hill and Ash Hollow State Historical Park makes for a real wild west adventure.

Driving from Sidney to Ogallala, we traveled on a portion of the Lincoln Highway, the first automobile road across the United States. The original route was 3,389 miles, extending from New York to California and passing through 13 states.

Ogallala is Nebraska’s “Cowboy Capital.” From 1875 and 1885, it was the end of the trail for cattle driven up from Texas to stock northern ranches in Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, the Dakotas and Montana. The CBS mini series “Lonesome Dove” described a cattle drive from the Rio Grande in Texas to Ogallala, Neb.
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At Cabela’s in Sidney, Nebraska, you can visit the restaurant inside the store where boar, elk and bison are among the items on the menu. Sign up for an outdoor cooking or fly fishing class. Grab some fudge for a sweet treat. Get one of the knowledgeable staff members to help you pick out everything you need for your outdoor adventure. Cabela’s really is a destination shopping experience.

In 1961, Dick Cabela opened the first store in Sidney, Nebraska, with a $25-30 investment. Dick and wife Mary, and his younger brother, Jim, joined together to run the store which has now grown into the world’s foremost outfitter of fishing, hunting and outdoor gear with 57 stores and 20 more slated to open over the next year.

Traveling through Western Nebraska, you should stop off in Sidney at the original store, which is filled with all you need for your outdoor western adventure as you journey through Nebraska. The product specialists offer support to shoppers, pointing out things to consider when picking out outdoor clothes, including the weather, activity level and your tolerance to cold.
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A jeep ride up scenic Pine Ridge looking for Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep, a horse-drawn historical tour through the grounds of a former military base and enjoying some amazing food at the historic lodge are among the highlights on a recent visit to Fort Robinson State Park in Crawford, Nebraska.

Fort Robinson was an active military post from 1874 to 1948 and it’s such a unique opportunity to stay on the property. The fort was established to protect the Red Cloud Agency and it was the location of the Cheyenne Outbreak and the assassination of Crazy Horse. The Red Cloud Agency was established in 1873 to distribute government goods to Indians camped in the vicinity.

The park covers 22,000 acres and has some of the original buildings of the fort, including officer’s quarters, cabins, the park lodge that served as the enlisted men’s barracks and stables.
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Stepping back in time to explore a Native American village, exploring a vast collection of western artwork, checking out life on the farm and then relaxing for the night at a wonderful resort property await visitors to Northwest Georgia’s Historic High Country.

The state of Georgia’s official tourism and travel site, www.exploregeorgia.org, divides the state into nine regions. The Historic High Country region is comprised of 17 counties and offers a cross section of things to see and do. On a recent visit to the area, I made stops in Adairsville, Canton, Rome and Cartersville and made plans to return soon to explore other areas of the region. It’s a perfect destination for a family adventure as there are activities offered that will appeal to all ages.[Full Story »]

Exploring Atlanta by electric car, trying out sweet and savory treats in Sandy Springs, a ghost trolley tour in Marietta, a tea room stop in Alpharetta and touring Bulloch Hall and Raiford Gallery in Roswell were highlights of a recent ramble through Metro Atlanta area.

We started off our adventure with a fun tour of Atlanta by electric car with ATL-Cruzers. This is such a fun way to travel with lots of local history and culture included in the narrated tour. It really is the best way to see the city. We got up close views of some of the most amazing architecture, neighborhoods and historic sites.

The tour includes several stops, including a visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. historic site, where we saw the gravesites of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King. We also had a sweet treat at our stop at Lotta Frutta where the Cremolatta is amazing. It is fresh cut banana, grapes, melon, papaya, strawberry and watermelon served with a homemade crema. The Sweet Auburn Market, the oldest farmer’s market in Atlanta, was another fun stop and we tried samples from several of the vendors. The tour includes a drive by Oakland Cemetery, where Margaret Mitchell and other notables are buried, as well as Mitchell’s Atlanta home.
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